Chapter 10 Relying on Charms Rather Than Merit

The men were holding onto me as they dragged me to a deserted alleyway. I knew there was no point in begging for help. They would simply pretend that this was just part of a lovers' quarrel and tell everyone to stay out of it. Humans would only lend a hand if their own lives were at stake. An idea came to mind, so I began shouting, "Fire! Fire! Quick, put it out! Save yourselves! Fire!" True enough, many people came out onto the street. Those who were already outside began running toward us as well. As more and more people showed up, I could tell that the thugs were starting to panic. Therefore, I kicked one of them in the groin before chomping down hard on the hand of the guy who wanted to shut me up. I felt my captors loosening their grip on me, so I quickly dashed toward the most crowded area I could see. The men darted through the crowd, trying to catch up to me, but I kept running like my life depended on it. Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist from behind. I tried to strugg